Apparatus, methods, computer programs, and non-transitory computer readable storage mediums for enabling remote control of one or more devices

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for enabling remote control of one or more devices, the apparatus comprising: a controller configured to: receive position data for a sensed position of an operator within a first volume; control a display located in a second volume, different to the first volume, to display a representation of at least a portion of the operator within a representation of at least a portion of the first volume, using the received position data; receive user input data from a user input device located in the second volume; and control a first device located at the first volume, using the received user input data to perform a first action.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The present disclosure concerns apparatus, methods, computer programs,and non-transitory computer readable storage mediums for enabling remotecontrol of one or more devices.

BACKGROUND

In various industries, operators located within a facility (for example,a factory, a manufacturing facility, or an electrical energy generationplant) may require guidance and/or information from a colleague toassist them with the performance of a task. For example, a techniciancarrying out a repair on an aerospace component in a repair facility mayrequire guidance from an engineer on how the repair should be performed.At present, the engineer may visit the repair facility to assist thetechnician. However, this may be relatively costly where the engineer isrequired to travel between a plurality of facilities, some of which maybe located in different cities or countries. The engineer mayalternatively deliver instructions and/or information orally via atelephone. However, the instructions delivered by the engineer may bechallenging for the technician to follow and/or inaccurate due to theengineer having no visibility of the repair being performed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various examples there is provided apparatus for enablingremote control of one or more devices, the apparatus comprising: acontroller configured to: receive position data for a sensed position ofan operator within a first volume; control a display located in a secondvolume, different to the first volume, to display a representation of atleast a portion of the operator within a representation of at least aportion of the first volume, using the received position data; receiveuser input data from a user input device located in the second volume;and control a first device located at the first volume, using thereceived user input data, to perform a first action.

The first device may comprise a communication device. The first actionmay include communicating information to the operator.

The first device may comprise a projector or a display. The first actionmay include displaying the information to the operator.

The first device may comprise an electroacoustic transducer. The firstaction may include providing acoustic waves to the operator to conveythe information to the operator.

The first action may include physical movement of part, or all, of thefirst device. For example, the first device may include, or be coupledto, one or more actuators (such as one or more servomotors) for movingpart, or all, of the first device.

The first device may comprise a laser. The first action may includeorienting and activating the laser to emit a laser beam towards atarget.

The first device may comprise a robot. The first action may includeoperating the robot.

The controller may be configured to control a second device at the firstvolume, using the received user input data, to perform a second action,different to the first action.

The display may comprise a virtual reality (VR) headset.

The controller may be configured to receive environment data associatedwith the first volume.

The controller may be configured to: receive further user input datarequesting information concerning a process to be performed by theoperator; retrieve process information using the further user inputdata; and control the display to display the retrieved processinformation.

The controller may be configured to: receive additional user input datarequesting a computer aided design (CAD) model of an article locatedwithin the first volume; retrieve the requested computer aided design(CAD) model using the additional user input data: and control thedisplay to display at least a part of the retrieved computer aideddesign (CAD) model.

The controller may be configured to store the received position data andthe received user input data in a memory.

The first volume may be at least a part of a manufacturing facility orat least a part of an electrical energy generation plant.

The operator may be a human or a robot.

According to various examples there is provided a method of enablingremote control of one or more devices, the method comprising: receivingposition data for a sensed position of an operator within a firstvolume; controlling a display located in a second volume, different tothe first volume, to display a representation of at least a portion ofthe operator within a representation of at least a portion of the firstvolume, using the received position data; receiving user input data froma user input device located in the second volume; and controlling afirst device located at the first volume, using the received user inputdata, to perform a first action.

The first device may comprise a communication device. Controlling thefirst device may include controlling communication of information to theoperator.

The first device may comprise a projector or a display. Controlling thefirst device may include controlling display of the information to theoperator.

The first device may comprise an electroacoustic transducer. Controllingthe first device may include controlling provision of acoustic waves tothe operator to convey the information to the operator.

The first action may include physical movement of part, or all, of thefirst device.

The first device may comprise a laser. The first action may includeorienting and activating the laser to emit a laser beam towards atarget.

The first device may comprise a robot. The first action may includeoperating the robot.

The method may further comprise controlling a second device at the firstvolume, using the received user input data, to perform a second action,different to the first action.

The display may comprise a virtual reality (VR) headset.

The method may further comprise receiving environment data associatedwith the first volume.

The method may further comprise: receiving further user input datarequesting information concerning a process to be performed by theoperator; retrieving process information using the further user inputdata; and controlling the display to display the retrieved processinformation,

The method may further comprise: receiving additional user input datarequesting a computer aided design (CAD) model of an article locatedwithin the first volume; retrieving the requested computer aided design(CAD) model using the additional user input data; and controlling thedisplay to display at least a part of the retrieved computer aideddesign (CAD) model.

The method may further comprise controlling storage of the receivedposition data and the received user input data in a memory.

The first volume may be at least a part of a manufacturing facility orat least a part of an electrical energy generation plant.

The operator may be a human or a robot.

According to various examples there is provided a computer program that,when read by a computer, causes performance of the method as describedin any of the preceding paragraphs.

According to various examples there is provided a non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium comprising: computer readableinstructions that, when read by a computer, cause performance of themethod as described in any of the preceding paragraphs.

The skilled person will appreciate that except where mutually exclusive,a feature described in relation to any one of the above aspects may beapplied mutatis mutandis to any other aspect. Furthermore except wheremutually exclusive any feature described herein may be applied to anyaspect and/or combined with any other feature described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Embodiments will now be described by way of example only, with referenceto the Figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of apparatus for enabling remotecontrol of one or more devices according to various examples;

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of enabling remote controlof one or more device according to various examples;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example output from the display within the secondvolume illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of another method according to variousexamples; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a further method according tovarious examples.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, the terms ‘connected’ and ‘coupled’ meanoperationally connected and coupled. It should be appreciated that theremay be any number of intervening components between the mentionedfeatures, including no intervening components.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of apparatus 10 according tovarious examples. The apparatus includes a controller 12, a sensorarrangement 13 (including a first sensor 14, a second sensor 16, and athird sensor 18), a fourth sensor 20, a fifth sensor 22, a sixth sensor24, a display 26, a projector 28, a laser apparatus 30, a robot 32, aseventh sensor 34, an eighth sensor 36, a ninth sensor 38, a user inputdevice 40, and a display 42. FIG. 1 also illustrates an operator 44, anarticle 46, and a user 48.

In some examples, the apparatus 10 may be a module. As used herein, thewording ‘module’ refers to a device or apparatus where one or morefeatures are included at a later time and, possibly, by anothermanufacturer or by an end user. For example, where the apparatus 10 is amodule, the apparatus 10 may only include the controller 12, and theremaining features may be added by another manufacturer, or by an enduser.

The sensor arrangement 13, the fourth sensor 20, the fifth sensor 22,the sixth sensor 24, the display 26, the projector 28, the laserapparatus 30, the robot 32, the operator 44 and the article 46 arelocated within or at a first volume 49. By way of an example, the firstvolume 49 may be at least a part of a manufacturing facility, at least apart of an electrical energy generation plant, or at least a part of afactory.

The seventh sensor 34, the eighth sensor 36, the ninth sensor 38, theuser input device 40, the display 42, and the user 48 are locatedwithin, or at, a second volume 51. The second volume 51 is different tothe first volume 49 and may be located in a different part of a buildingto the first volume 49; may be located in a different building to thefirst volume 49, may be located in a different part of a country to thefirst volume 49, or may be located in a different country to the firstvolume 49.

The controller 12 may be located in the first volume 49, or may belocated in the second volume 51, or may be located in a different volumeto the first volume 49 and the second volume 51 (that is, the controller12 may be located in third volume). For example, the controller 12 maybe located in a different building, or may be located in a differentpart of a country, or may be located in a different country to the firstvolume 49 and/or the second volume 51. The controller 12 may be locatedat a single location, or may be distributed across a plurality oflocations.

The controller 12, the sensor arrangement 13, the fourth sensor 20, thefifth sensor 22, the sixth sensor 24, the display 26, the projector 28,the laser apparatus 30, the robot 32, the seventh sensor 34, the eighthsensor 36, the ninth sensor 38, the user input device 40, and thedisplay 42 may be coupled to one another via a wireless link and mayconsequently comprise transceiver circuitry and one or more antennas.Additionally or alternatively, the controller 12, the sensor arrangement13, the fourth sensor 20, the fifth sensor 22, the sixth sensor 24, thedisplay 26, the projector 28, the laser apparatus 30, the robot 32, theseventh sensor 34, the eighth sensor 36, the ninth sensor 38, the userinput device 40, and the display 42 may be coupled to one another via awired link and may consequently comprise interface circuitry (such as aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) socket). It should be appreciated that thecontroller 12, the sensor arrangement 13, the fourth sensor 20, thefifth sensor 22, the sixth sensor 24, the display 26, the projector 28,the laser apparatus 30, the robot 32, the seventh sensor 34, the eighthsensor 36, the ninth sensor 38, the user input device 40, and thedisplay 42 may be coupled to one another via any combination of wiredand wireless links.

The controller 12 may comprise any suitable circuitry to causeperformance of the methods described herein and as illustrated in FIGS.2, 4, and 5. The controller 12 may comprise: control circuitry: and/orprocessor circuitry; and/or at least one application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC); and/or at least one field programmable gate array(FPGA); and/or single or multi-processor architectures; and/orsequential/parallel architectures; and/or at least one programmablelogic controllers (PLCs); and/or at least one microprocessor; and/or atleast one microcontroller; and/or a central processing unit (CPU);and/or a graphics processing unit (GPU), to perform the methods.

In various examples, the controller 12 may comprise at least oneprocessor 50 and at least one memory 52. The memory 52 stores a computerprogram 54 comprising computer readable instructions that, when read bythe processor 50, causes performance of the methods described herein,and as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. The computer program 54 may besoftware or firmware, or may be a combination of software and firmware.

The processor 50 may include at least one microprocessor and maycomprise a single core processor, may comprise multiple processor cores(such as a dual core processor or a quad core processor), or maycomprise a plurality of processors (at least one of which may comprisemultiple processor cores),

The memory 52 may be any suitable non-transitory computer readablestorage medium, data storage device or devices, and may comprise a harddisk and/or solid state memory (such as flash memory). The memory 52 maybe permanent non-removable memory, or may be removable memory (such as auniversal serial bus (USB) flash drive or a secure digital card). Thememory may include: local memory employed during actual execution of thecomputer program; bulk storage: and cache memories which providetemporary storage of at least some computer readable or computer usableprogram code to reduce the number of times code may be retrieved frombulk storage during execution of the code.

The computer program 54 may be stored on a non-transitory computerreadable storage medium 56. The computer program 54 may be transferredfrom the non-transitory computer readable storage medium 56 to thememory 52. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium 56 maybe, for example, a USB flash drive, a secure digital (SD) card, anoptical disc (such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc(DVD) or a Blu-ray disc). In some examples, the computer program 54 maybe transferred to the memory 52 via a signal 58 (which may be a wirelesssignal or a wired signal).

Input/output devices may be coupled to the controller 12 either directlyor through intervening input/output controllers. Various communicationadaptors may also be coupled to the controller 12 to enable theapparatus 10 to become coupled to other apparatus or remote printers orstorage devices through intervening private or public networks.Non-limiting examples include modems and network adaptors of suchcommunication adaptors.

The sensor arrangement 13 is configured to sense at least the positionof at least the operator 44 within the first volume 49. The first sensor14, the second sensor 16 and the third sensor 18 may comprise anysuitable sensor, or sensors, for sensing the position of the operator44. For example, the first sensor 14, the second sensor 16, and thethird sensor 18 may be provided by any combination of three dimensional(3D) laser scanners, infrared sensors, and digital cameras (comprisingcharge coupled device (CCD) sensors, and/or complementary metal oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) sensors). In some examples, the first sensor 14,the second sensor 16, and the third sensor 18 may be Microsoft Kinect v2sensors. The first sensor 14, the second sensor 16, and the third sensor18 may be positioned at various different locations within and/or aroundthe first volume 49 to sense the position of at least the operator 44.The controller 12 is configured to receive position data from the sensorarrangement 13.

It should be appreciated that the sensor arrangement 13 may include anynumber of sensors and the sensor arrangement 13 is not limited to onlycomprising the first sensor 14, the second sensor 16 and the thirdsensor 18. For example, the sensor arrangement 13 may only include asingle sensor that may be fixed, or moveable within or around the firstvolume 49. In other examples, the sensor arrangement 13 may comprise arelatively large number of sensors (ten or more sensors for example)that are positioned around the perimeter of the first volume 49.

The fourth sensor 20, the fifth sensor 22 and the sixth sensor 24 areconfigured to sense one or more environment parameters associated withthe first volume 49. For example, the fourth sensor 20, the fifth sensor22 and the sixth sensor 24 may be any combination of digitalthermometers, radiation sensors (such as Geiger counters for example),gas detectors (for example, a carbon dioxide detector or a carbonmonoxide detector), and humidity sensors. The controller 12 isconfigured to receive environment data from the fourth sensor 20, thefifth sensor 22 and the sixth sensor 24.

It should be appreciated that the apparatus 10 may include more or lessenvironment sensors than the fourth sensor 20, the fifth sensor 22 andthe sixth sensor 24. In some examples, the apparatus 10 may not includeany environment sensors.

The display 26 may be any suitable device for displaying information tothe operator 44. For example, the display 26 may comprise a liquidcrystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display (such as anactive matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display), a thinfilm transistor (TFT) display, or a plasma display. The display 26 maybe static within the first volume 49 (for example, the display 26 may bemounted on a wall or on a desk) or may be moveable within the firstvolume 49. For example, the display 26 may be integrated within aheadset or spectacles worn by the operator 44 and may be configured toprovide an augmented reality experience for the operator 44. Thecontroller 12 is configured to control the display 26 to displayinformation.

The projector 28 is configured to display information to the operator 44via a two dimensional (2D) image or via a holographic image. Thecontroller 12 is configured to control the operation of the projector 28to display information.

The laser apparatus 30 may comprise a laser and one or more actuatorsfor changing the orientation and/or position of the laser. Thecontroller 12 is configured to control the operation of the laserapparatus 30. For example, the controller 12 may activate and deactivatethe laser and may re-orient and re-position the laser.

The robot 32 may be configured to perform various actions. For example,the robot 32 may comprise one or more machine tools for machining thearticle 46, and/or one or more digital cameras for obtaining images ofthe article 46, and/or one or more pointing devices for pointing to apart of the article 46. The controller 12 is configured to control theoperation of the robot 32.

The operator 44 may be a human or may be a robot. For example, theoperator 44 may be a person involved in the repair, manufacture,inspection, or assembly of the article 46. By way of another example,the operator 44 may be an autonomous robot or a semi-autonomous robotinvolved in the repair, manufacture, inspection or assembly of thearticle 46. In some examples, there may be a plurality of operators 44within the first volume 49.

The apparatus 10 may additionally include a first electroacoustictransducer 60 located within the first volume 49, and a secondelectroacoustic transducer 62 located within the second volume 51. Thefirst and second electroacoustic transducers 60, 62 may be anycombination of: landline' telephones (that is, telephones connected to apublic switched telephone network); mobile cellular telephones; andvoice over Internet protocol (VoIP) devices. The operator 44 and theuser 48 may use the first and second electroacoustic transducers 60, 62respectively to communicate with one another. In various examples, thefirst and second electroacoustic transducers 60, 62 may communicate viathe controller 12, and the controller 12 may store a recording of theconversation in the memory 52.

The seventh sensor 34, the eighth sensor 36, and the ninth sensor 38 maycomprise any suitable sensor or sensors for obtaining images and/orposition data of the user 48. For example, the sensors 34, 36, 38 mayinclude any combination of digital cameras, infrared sensors, lasers,virtual reality peripheral network (VRPN) devices. In some examples, thesensors 34, 36, 38 may include a plurality of Kinect v2 sensors. Thecontroller 12 is configured to receive the image data and/or theposition data from the sensors 34, 36, 38.

The user input device 40 may comprise any suitable device or devices forenabling the user 48 to provide an input to the controller 12. Forexample, the user input device may comprise one or more of a keyboard, akeypad, a touchpad, a touchscreen display, and a computer mouse. Thecontroller 12 is configured to receive signals from the user inputdevice 40.

The display 42 may be any suitable device for displaying information tothe user 48. For example, the display 42 may include one or more of: aliquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display (suchas an active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display), athin film transistor (TFT) display, or a plasma display. The display 42may be static within the second volume 51 (for example, the display 42may be mounted on a wall or on a desk) or may be moveable within thesecond volume 51 (for example, the display 42 may be integrated within aheadset or spectacles worn by the user 48). In some examples, thedisplay 42 may be integrated within a virtual reality headset that maybe worn by the user 48. The controller 12 is configured to control thedisplay 42 to display information.

The user 48 is a human located within the second volume 51 and may be anexpert on the activities being performed within the first volume 49 bythe operator 44. For example, where the first volume 49 is at least apart of an aerospace facility, the user 48 may be an aerospace engineer.In some examples, there may be a plurality of users 48 within the secondvolume 51, each using a user input device 40 and a display 42.

The operation of the apparatus 10 is described in the followingparagraphs with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

At block 64, the method includes receiving position data for a sensedposition of the operator 44 within the first volume 49. For example, thecontroller 12 may receive position data of the operator 44 and thearticle 46 within the first volume 49 from the sensor arrangement 13.The controller 12 may also receive environment data from one or more ofthe fourth sensor 20, the fifth sensor 22 and the sixth sensor 24 atblock 64.

At block 66, the method includes controlling the display 42 located inthe second volume 51 to display a representation of at least a portionof the operator 44 within a representation of at least a portion of thefirst volume 49 using the position data received at block 64. Forexample, the controller 12 may read data 68 stored in the memory 52 thatdefines a three dimensional model of the first volume 49. The controller12 may then use the data received at block 64 to determine the positionof the operator 44 and the article 46 within the three dimensional modelof the first volume 49. The controller 12 may then control the display42 to display a representation of the operator 44 and a representationof the article 46 within a representation of the first volume 49.

In some examples, the controller 12 may be configured to determine theposition of a plurality of body parts of the operator 44 from theposition data received at block 44. For example, where the sensorarrangement 13 includes a plurality of Kinect v2 sensors, the controller12 may determine the positioning and orientation of the various bodyparts of the operator 44 and then control the display 42 so that thebody parts are accurately positioned and oriented in the representationof the first volume 49. The user 48 may view the display 42 to view atleast the representation of the operator 44 within the representation ofthe first volume 49.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example output from the display 42 within thesecond volume 51. The output includes a representation 49′ of the firstvolume 49, a representation 44′ of the operator 44 (which may also bereferred to as an avatar), a representation 46′ of the article 46 (a fanblade in this example), and a representation 70′ of a machine tool (alinishing wheel in this example). The position and orientation of therepresentations 44′, 46′, 70′ within the representation 49′ of the firstvolume 49 accurately correspond to the position and orientation of theoperator 44, the article 46 and the machine tool 70.

It should be appreciated that blocks 64 and 66 may be performed at afrequency so that at least the representation of the operator 44 isperceived as being updated continuously in the output of the display 42by the user 48. For example, blocks 64 and 66 may be performed at afrequency of sixty hertz or higher so that the user 48 perceives therepresentation 44′ of the operator 44 to move fluidly.

At block 72, the method includes receiving user input data from the userinput device 40 located in the second volume 51. For example, thecontroller 12 may receive the user input data from the user input device40.

The user 48 may operate the user input device 40 in order to change theview displayed in the display 42. For example, the user 48 may controlthe user input device 40 to zoom the view in or out, move the viewlaterally, or rotate the view displayed in the display 42. Thecontroller 12 may receive the user input data and then control thedisplay 40 to display an updated view of the representations of thefirst volume 49 and the operator 44 in accordance with the input to theuser input device 40.

At block 74, the method includes controlling a first device located atthe first volume 49, using the user input data received at block 72, toperform a first action. For example, the controller 12 may control afirst device located at the first volume 49 to present information tothe operator 44 and/or to instruct the operator 44, and/or to manipulateone or more articles within the first volume 49.

For example, the controller 12 may use the received user input data tocontrol the display 26 to display information to the operator 44. Wherethe display 26 is a head mounted display, the controller 12 may controlthe display 26 to overlay one or more images in the operators 44 fieldof vision so that the operator 44 experiences augmented reality. Forexample, the controller 12 may control the display 26 to overlay anarrow image in the field of vision of the operator 44, indicating alocation where the operator 44 should perform machining. By way of afurther example, the controller 12 may control the display 26 to displaypre-recorded images of an operator performing a task to educate theoperator 44 on how to perform that task.

By way of another example, the controller 12 may use the received userinput data to control the projector 28 to project images to displayinformation to the operator 44.

By way of a further example, the controller 12 may use the received userinput data to control the operation of the laser apparatus 30. Forexample, the controller 12 may control an actuator (such as one or moreservomotors) of the laser apparatus 30 to orient the laser in adirection specified by the user input data, and then activate the laserto emit a laser beam towards a target. In various examples, the emittedlaser beam may be targeted towards a location on the article 46 that theoperator 44 is to inspect and/or machine.

By way of another example, the controller 12 may use the received userinput data to control the operation of the robot 32. For example, thecontroller 12 may control the robot 32 to perform machining on thearticle 46, and/or obtain images of the article 46, and/or control oneor more pointing devices of the robot 32 for pointing to a part of thearticle 46 to direct the actions of the operator 44.

At block 76, the method may include controlling a second device at thefirst volume 49, using the received user input data, to perform a secondaction, different to the first action. For example, the controller 12may control any one of: the display 26, the projector 28, the laserapparatus 30, and the robot 32 as described in the preceding paragraphs.

It should be appreciated that at block 76, the method may includecontrolling a plurality of devices at the first volume 49, using thereceived user input data, to perform a variety of actions. For example,the controller 12 may control the display 26, the projector 28, thelaser apparatus 30, and the robot 32 using the received user input dataat blocks 74 and 76.

At block 78, the method includes storing the received position data andthe received user input data in a memory. For example, the controller 12may store the position data received at block 66 and the user input datareceived at block 72 in the memory 52.

In some examples, the seventh sensor 34, the eighth sensor 36, and theninth sensor 38 may provide user input data to the controller 12 inaddition to, or instead of, the user input device 40 (and consequently,the sensors 34, 36, 38 may be referred to as a user input device). Wherethe seventh sensor 34, the eighth sensor 36 and the ninth sensor 38include Kinect v2 sensors or other virtual reality peripheral network(VRPN) devices, the user 48 may perform various gestures to provide userinput data to the controller 12 and thereby control devices within or atthe first volume 49. For example, the user 48 may perform gestures tocontrol the orientation of the laser apparatus 30 and thus select thelocation where the laser beam is targeted.

The method may then return to block 72 or may end.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of another method according to variousexamples.

At block 80, the method includes receiving further user input datarequesting information concerning a process to be performed by theoperator 44. For example, the controller 12 may receive further userinput data from the user input device 40 (and/or the sensors 34, 36, 38)requesting information concerning a process to be performed by theoperator 44. By way of an example, the user 48 may receive a telephonecall from the operator 44 asking for assistance with a process. The user48 may then operate the user input device 40 to request information froman enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool.

In some examples, block 80 may additionally or alternatively includereceiving further user input data requesting information from acentrally stored database. For example, the user 48 may operate the userinput device 40 to request finite element analysis (FEA) results orproduct life cycle management (PLM) data.

At block 82, the method includes retrieving information using thefurther user input data received at block 82. For example, thecontroller 12 may retrieve information 84 (such as process information)stored in the memory 52 or in remote memory (cloud storage for example).

At block 86, the method includes controlling the display 42 to displaythe retrieved information. For example, the controller 12 may controlthe display 42 to display the retrieved process information to the user48. The user 48 may subsequently provide instructions to the operator 44(for example, via the display 26) using the retrieved processinformation to assist the operator 44 with a task (as described in thepreceding paragraphs with reference to blocks 72, 74, 76).

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a further method according tovarious examples.

At block 88, the method includes receiving additional user input datarequesting a computer aided design (CAD) model of an article locatedwith the first volume 49. For example, the controller 12 may receiveadditional user input data from the user input device 40 (and/or thesensors 34, 36, 38) requesting a CAD model of the article 46 locatedwithin the first volume 49. By way of an example, the user 48 may wishto learn the internal structure of the article 46 in the first volume 49and may operate the user input device 40 to request a CAD file of thearticle 46 from the controller 12.

At block 90, the method includes retrieving the requested computer aideddesign (CAD) model using the additional user input data. For example,the controller 12 may retrieve a computer aided design model 92 of thearticle 46 from the memory 52 or from remote memory.

At block 94, the method includes controlling the display 42 to displayat least a part of the retrieved computer aided design (CAD) model. Forexample, the controller 12 may control the display 42 to display the CADmodel 92 retrieved at block 90. The user 48 may subsequently provideinstructions to the operator 44 (for example, via the display 26) usingthe retrieved CAD model (for example, to inform the operator 44 of theinternal structure of the article 46).

The apparatus 10 may provide several advantages. First, the apparatus 10may enable the user 48 to remotely view the actions of the operator 44within the first volume 49 in real time and then remotely provideinformation and/or instructions to the operator 44 via one or moredevices within the first volume 49. Second, the apparatus 10 may enablethe user 48 to remotely manipulate physical objects in the first volume49 using the robot 32. This may be particularly advantageous where thefirst volume 49 is an inhospitable environment (such as nuclear hotcell). In such examples, the robot 32 may be the operator 44. Third, theapparatus 10 may enable the user 48 to view a wealth of information(such as processes, data, CAD models and so on) and then share thatinformation with the operator 44 in a condensed format. Fourth, theapparatus 10 may store data (such as the position data of the operator44 and/or the user 48) in the memory 52 or in remote memory to recordbest practice and enable a review of the quality of the actions taken.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to theembodiments above-described and various modifications and improvementscan be made without departing from the concepts described herein. Forexample, the different embodiments may take the form of an entirelyhardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodimentcontaining both hardware and software elements. By way of a furtherexample, the controller 12 may be distributed and include a sensorserver for collating the data from at least the sensor arrangement 13,and a virtual environment server for generating the output of thedisplay 42 and to receive data from the user input device 40, theseventh sensor 34, the eighth sensor 36, and the ninth sensor 38.

Except where mutually exclusive, any of the features may be employedseparately or in combination with any other features and the disclosureextends to and includes all combinations and sub-combinations of one ormore features described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for enabling remote control of oneor more devices, the apparatus comprising: a controller configured to:read data stored in a memory that defines a three dimensional model of afirst volume; receive position data for a sensed position of an operatorwithin the first volume; determine the position of the operator withinthe three dimensional model of the first volume using the receivedposition data; control a display located in a second volume, differentto the first volume, to display a representation of at least a portionof the operator within a representation of at least a portion of thefirst volume, using the determined position of the operator within thethree dimensional model of the first volume, wherein the position andorientation of the representation of the portion of the operator withinthe representation of the portion of the first volume correspond to theposition and orientation of the operator within the first volume;determine positions and orientations of a plurality of body parts of theoperator, the representation of the portion of the operator is displayedsuch that positions and orientations of a corresponding plurality ofbody parts of the representation of the portion of the operator aredisplayed in correspondence to the determined positions and orientationsof the plurality of body parts of the operator; receive user input datafrom a user input device located in the second volume; and control afirst device located at the first volume, using the received user inputdata, to perform a first action.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the first device includes a communication device, and the firstaction includes communicating information to the operator.
 3. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first device includes aprojector or a display, and the first action includes displayinginformation to the operator.
 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the first device includes an electroacoustic transducer, and thefirst action includes providing acoustic waves to the operator to conveyinformation to the operator.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the first action includes physical movement of part, or all, ofthe first device.
 6. An apparatus for enabling remote control of one ormore devices, the apparatus comprising: a controller configured to: readdata stored in a memory that defines a three dimensional model of afirst volume; receive position data for a sensed position of an operatorwithin the first volume; determine the position of the operator withinthe three dimensional model of the first volume using the receivedposition data; control a display located in a second volume, differentto the first volume, to display a representation of at least a portionof the operator within a representation of at least a portion of thefirst volume, using the determined position of the operator within thethree dimensional model of the first volume, wherein the position andorientation of the representation of the portion of the operator withinthe representation of the portion of the first volume correspond to theposition and orientation of the operator within the first volume;receive user input data from a user input device located in the secondvolume; and control a first device located at the first volume, usingthe received user input data, to perform a first action, wherein thefirst device includes a laser, and the first action includes orientingand activating the laser to emit a laser beam towards a target.
 7. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first device includes arobot, and the first action includes operating the robot.
 8. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured tocontrol a second device at the first volume, using the received userinput data, to perform a second action, different to the first action.9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display includes avirtual reality (VR) headset.
 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the controller is configured to receive environment dataassociated with the first volume.
 11. The apparatus as claimed in claim1, wherein the controller is configured to: receive further user inputdata requesting information concerning a process to be performed by theoperator; retrieve process information using the further user inputdata; and control the display to display the retrieved processinformation.
 12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecontroller is configured to: receive additional user input datarequesting a computer aided design (CAD) model of an article locatedwithin the first volume; retrieve the requested computer aided design(CAD) model using the additional user input data; and control thedisplay to display at least a part of the retrieved computer aideddesign (CAD) model.
 13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecontroller is configured to store the received position data and thereceived user input data in the memory.
 14. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the first volume is at least a part of a manufacturingfacility or at least a part of an electrical energy generation plant.15. A method of enabling remote control of one or more devices, themethod comprising: reading data stored in a memory that defines a threedimensional model of a first volume; receiving position data for asensed position of an operator within the first volume; determining theposition of the operator within the three dimensional model of the firstvolume using the received position data; controlling a display locatedin a second volume, different to the first volume, to display arepresentation of at least a portion of the operator within arepresentation of at least a portion of the first volume, using thedetermined position of the operator within the three dimensional modelof the first volume, wherein the position and orientation of therepresentation of the portion of the operator within the representationof the portion of the first volume correspond to the position andorientation of the operator within the first volume; determiningpositions and orientations of a plurality of body parts of the operator,the representation of the portion of the operator is displayed such thatpositions and orientations of a corresponding plurality of body parts ofthe representation of the portion of the operator are displayed incorrespondence to the determined positions and orientations of theplurality of body parts of the operator; receiving user input data froma user input device located in the second volume; and controlling afirst device located at the first volume, using the received user inputdata, to perform a first action.
 16. The method as claimed in claim 15,further comprising controlling a second device at the first volume,using the received user input data, to perform a second action,different to the first action.
 17. The method as claimed in claim 15,further comprising receiving environment data associated with the firstvolume.
 18. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:receiving further user input data requesting information concerning aprocess to be performed by the operator; retrieving process informationusing the further user input data; and controlling the display todisplay the retrieved process information.
 19. The method as claimed inclaim 15, further comprising: receiving additional user input datarequesting a computer aided design (CAD) model of an article locatedwithin the first volume; retrieving the requested computer aided design(CAD) model using the additional user input data; and controlling thedisplay to display at least a part of the retrieved computer aideddesign (CAD) model.
 20. A non-transitory computer readable storagemedium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed bya computer, cause performance of the method as claimed in claim 15.